Alves phone started buzzing in his pocket. He brought it out before any other thing; he was still on his knees, in an open place. The hidden exit which he had taken led to an exposed roadside. 

He looked at the caller. Seeing the caller, he helped himself to his feet. He could see people gazing at him, but he didn't care. If they had an idea what he was going through, they probably would tell him to continue doing whatever he thought right. 

"Why is Charles calling me?"

He thought first, staring at the number for a while. He knew he has to make a decision as soon as possible else the call would fall through. 

He answered the call. 

"Hey Charles. I was just about to call you."

It wasn't a lie. That was the next thing he had in mind before the whole Laura situation. 

"Makes sense that I called you first then. But it doesn't matter who calls who first."

The husky voice of Charles came over the speaker. Alves could hear a voice underneath, over the speaker. He could tell that it was the voice of a woman. 

"I hope you don't have any trouble with Madam. If you do... I'm sorry I won't be able to take you in today. Mr girlfriend came visiting."

"Tell him to go find a place for himself. He's a man after all."

Alves could hear the struggling female voice trying to dominate Charles'.

"Come on don't say that. Alves is my friend."

Charles scolded. For a moment, it was as though Alves wasn't involved in the conversation.

"So, I'm so sorry Alves. I don't know what the situation is like but ---"

"Grandpa is dead Charles."

Alves let the words out. For a moment, there was a strange silence over the speaker. 

"What! When! How?"

Charles made a roll of questions which Alves didn't know which to answer first.

"Let's talk when we meet. I appreciate your concern but I have to go."

"I'm so sorry Alves. I wish there is anything I could for you. I mean, you can come over to my place. I could tell my girlfriend... she will understand."

Charles said. Alves felt touched. He needed someone like that. Someone who could offer him a sort of help in this trying times. Someone who could support him emotionally. 

"No, no... I won't inconvenience you. That will be selfish of me. Enjoy your time. I'm hanging up."

Alves punched the end icon without looking. He heaved a sigh. He couldn't take the scene of Laura off his head. It was disheartening. But he knew that he had to man up. There were a lot of things happening at that moment in his life. Things that could change his life for the best or worst, given by which way he faced them. 

"How dare you say that? Do I meaning nothing to you at all?"

Came a strange voice. 

"Huh?"

Alves was startled. He looked around him to find out where the voice had come from but there was no one in a reasonable distance. He saw two people talking but in whispers. There was no one with a loud voice around him. 

"You really wanted him to come over here? You would really send me away if he did? Really? I should have broken up with you!!!"

Alves looked down at his phone. That was where the voice was coming from. 

"Oh, I thought I ended the call. Poor Charles having a fight because of me."

He muttered to himself and made an attempt to end the call, careful not to make the mistake which he did earlier. 

"Do you think I'm that foolish? It was just a vain show. It was a pity party."

Came the voice of Charles. Alves finger was hung in the air by the strange confession of Charles. He was shocked. 

"What do you mean?"

The lady questioned. 

"Do you really think I have been nice to him because I wanted to?"

"What are you talking about?"

The lady was as confused as Alves. 

"Isn't it obvious? I was paid to be nice to him. Who would keep such a jinx around as a friend? He has no connection, let alone the favor of anyone. He's such a dejected piece of trash. I was just putting up with him because of the verbal contract."

Alves' phone dropped from his hand. 

"What was that sound?"

Charles asked over the speaker. Alves didn't know what to do. 

"You didn't cut the call..."

The lady called her attention. 

"What call?"

Before Charles could look, Alves had bent down and cut the call. He retained that position for a while. He didn't know what to do with himself. 

Even if it was a dream, wasn't it just too much to happen one after the other? 

WHY NOW?

He muttered to himself. He had no idea why all these are happening to him. It was as though there was some force somewhere bringing all dark secrets to light in front of his face. 

"Charles?"

He couldn't wrap his head around it. Charles was the only friend he trusted his life with. Charles had been good to him. He could never think that such a kind hearted man was an opposite of what he pretended to be. 

Alves heart crashed in his heart. He wished he could find the particles of his shredded heart. He was so mad and pained and mad. 

He knew he couldn't keep standing there. What had happened to him in just one day were more than too much for him to bear. Yesternight, if he was told that tomorrow would be the worst day of his life he would beat the person to pulp. 

Yesternight, he hung out with Charles and they visited where they made a lot of memories together. Charles even promised to be the godfather of his son whenever he had one. 

Yesternight, he was with Laura, talking about what she would love to wear on their wedding day. When she'd approached him while he was seated on the bed, he'd thought that she was no longer feeling aloof. That she was back to her old self. 

Yesternight, Grandpa told him a tale after he'd drank a glass of wine. 

"It was all a charade."

He said to himself. It was the truth. 

Everything changed at midnight at Grandpa's death. 

Suddenly, his phone chimed. It was a message. He was absentminded. He just wanted to crash into something... lie there for as long as possible... then wake up to things being perfect. 

MEET ME AT THE RIVERSIDE. 

He read the message. He had no idea who the sender was. 

"Could it be?"

A string of excitement was picked, then dropped.